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Marari Beach, Mararikulam
Somewhere
around the middle section of Kerala's coast, the Indian Ocean finally realises
that it has now become the Arabian Sea. The result of this personality change
is a splendid azure colour, quite distinctive, with frothy whitecaps and a translucent,
pearl-like quality. The sands that fringe this coastline for endless miles are
themselves distinctive, deep and rich and fine, in a shade closer to ocher than
gold.
This natural brushwork leaves its mark on human life too. The people
of the area have been fisherfolk for millennia and over this time, they've evolved
a way of life that's as tranquil and colourful as their world.
The village
of Mararikulam is tucked away behind a line of dense palms that rise like a sudden
rampart of green out of the sands. Like all villages, it has evolved naturally,
in picturesque disorder.
The huts are slapdash adobe, thatched with-what
else? -palm and tied with coir, or coconut rope. (In fact, the coconut tree supplies
the villagers with an endless number of useful items, from kitchen ladles to sunhats
to boat hulls.) Neat and scrupulously clean footpaths veer between the huts and
everywhere, the pungent scents of the sea mingle with the fragrance of coconut
oil and spice.
Spread out here and there on rough coir mats are sunbursts
of red. These are the famous red chilis, without which no self-respecting fishwife
would ever dream of serving up dinner.
Evening in fact, is a special time.
The winking of oil lamps and cooking fires transforms the village into a glowing
tableau vivant, with
a
painted sunset as the backdrop. Within moments, you feel your city clock winding
gently down, then dying without protest as you pass through a scene unchanged
for centuries.
The Village Reborn The challenge for us was
to take the village, not just its architecture, but the subtle elements of its
life and translate them into an unforgettable experience for the modern traveler.
We wanted to recreate the same harmony with nature. And impart the same sense
of languid pace to the Marari Beach resort.
Sprawled expansively across
25 acres of land, the resort, like its namesake, is separated from the sea by
a windbreak of stretching palms. There are a mere 52 cottages, so the sense of
space here is much more dramatic. The cottages are separated by generous stretches
of open parkland, dotted with fruit-laden trees. The winding village pathways
are a faithful echo of the originals.
Rambling walls curve around corners,
their rust-coloured stones smothered with trumpet flowers. Completing the picture
are rippling lotus ponds, usually with a family of ducklings getting a swimming
lesson out in the middle.
Things to do The Marari Breach,
let us be clear, is not the place for a raucous beach holiday. There are no rave
parties here, no noisy water scooters, no sellers of trinkets.
But
for those seeking to undo the stresses of city life and experience a completely
new pace, it is the perfect spot.
You could spend an entire morning
lolling by the poolside with a book from the library. Or take a dip in the sea,
the beach usually being nearly empty, except for a few other guests and the odd
local fisherman. Or explore the area and its fishing villages on a bicycle.
The trick at Marari is to open up, relax and rejuvenate. To while away the
hours watching the fascinating play of light on open water, to feed a wandering
guinea fowl, to stretch a lazy hand out to your cocktail glass and wait for one
of our sumptuous lunches to be served
Marari
Beach, Mararikulam, South India Hotels & Resorts
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